Silo



2 Sheets-s a March 1 L. D. HOUGHTALING- ILo 3. J 6 w M W W m Patented Mar. 4, 1924.

LEVI DEPUY HOUGHTALING, OF READING, PENFTSYLVANIA.

SILO.

Application filed July, 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI D. HoUGH'rAL- lNG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silos, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates in general to improvements in silos, and more particularly to improvements in silo doors.

In silos, particularly in Wooden silos, it

has been found that the door opening sometimes is of irregular sizes and almost in variably changes its size from time to time such as for instance when it is charged with fresh ensilage, the moisture of the ensilage swelling the wood constituting the silo and thus varying the size of the door opening. Of course it is to be understood that the door opening varies in size for other reasons.

The object of the present invention is to provide a door for silos which completely and properly closes the door opening of a silo irrespective of variations or irregularities in size and which is positively supported and secured in position and which is not liable tobe accidentally displaced.

Another object is to provide a door construction in which the operating means for the door and for the fastening means thereof constitutes the ladder of the silo.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objectsand advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a silo constructed with a door embodying the present invention; a

Figure 2 is a view in section on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view on line 33 of F igure 1;

Figure4 is a perspective view of one of 1922. Serial No. 578,479.

'the sections of the door, showing the same of the shoulders being inclined or under cut,

as at. 13.

The'door which constitutes the present invention is made up of a number of sections or units, designated generally at 15. These sections interfit, as shown in Figure 2.

The sections 15 are of identical construction and so a common description will serve for all. Each section comprises a main panel or body portion 16 formed at its upper and lower sidesso as to interfit, as shown in Figure 2, and having reduced extensions at its ends, as at 17, these reduced extensions being adapted to fit in behind the shoulders 12, as shown in Figure 3, to prevent outward displacement of the door sections. The reduced extensions 17 have their outer faces fiat and smooth and upon these smooth faces movable end pieces 18 are arranged, the two movable end pieces consisting of a pair. A plate 19 is set in a recess provided therefor in each movable end piece and is secured in position by means of screw or similar fastening means 20. Lugs 19 are integrally formed with the plate 19 and are bentaround the side of the end piece, as shown in the drawings. The plate is provided with an integral lateral arm 21 having a slot or opening 22, as shown. These similar lateral arms are arranged to operate in recesses 23 cut in the main panel, there being one recess 23 for each arm, as shown in F igure' 5. A pair-ofhousings or casings, designated generally at 25 are provided, there being one 7 such housing for each lateral arm 21. These housings are of identical construction and each includes an attaching portion 26 secured-to the main panels 16 by screws 27. As shown in the drawings a portion of the housing overlies the movable end piece and the plate 19 thereof. Bolt guides 28 are formed in each housing and receive a reciprocable bolt 29 adapted to be projected across the outside of the shoulder 12 so as to engage this shoulder to hold the door sections against inward displacement, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Each casing or housing 25 also includes a shell or dome-like body portion 30 integral with the attaching portions 26, and these shells or dome-like portions 30 are provided with cam slots 31. An operating yoke or bolt, designated generally at 32, is provided and includes a hollow operating bar or sleeve 33 of polygonal cross section. The arms of the yoke are designated at 34: and are offset at one end, as at 35. The offset ends have fixed thereto slide blocks 36 corresponding in formation to the formation of the bore of the sleeve and being slidably mounted in this bore. Thus the arms 3d are capable of moving toward or away from each other while at the same time being constrained to partake of the swinging motion of the sleeve 33 or operating bar of the yoke. The extremities of the arms 3d opposite to the angular or oifset portions are looped to form collars 3? loosely embracing the bolts 29 and fitted in between collars 38 fixed to the bolts 29. In this manner the bolts are constrained to partake of any rectilinear motion imparted to the arms 34: while the bolts are free with respect to any swinging motion of the arms 34:. These arms 3 1- extend through and operate in the cam slots 31 which are oppositely disposed with respect to each other so that when the bar 33 of the yoke is swung clownwardly the arms 34 will be spread by the cam slots 31 which project the bolts 29 in engagement with the shoulders 12, as shown in Figure 3. The collars 37 and 38 have portions disposed within the slots 22 of the arms 21 and the collars 38 are engageable with the end walls 22 of these slots 22 so that the motion of the arms across the panel or door section is also imparted to the movable end pieces of the door section to spread or retract these movable end pieces accordingly as the yoke 32 is swung downwardly or upwardly.

In use the door sections may be readily placed in position by first retracting the bolts 29 by swinging the yoke 32 upwardly. After the sections are in position with the reduced extensions engaging behind the shoulders 12, the yoke 32 is then swung downwardly to project the bolts 29 and to spread the movable end pieces 13 until they come into snug engagement with the under cut surfaces 13 of the shoulders 12 of the silo. In this manner the movable end pieces effect a complete and proper closure of the door opening irrespective of variations in the sizes thereof due to the swelling of the silo or other causes. At the same time the bolts 29 are projected into engagement with the shoulders 12 to prevent inward displacement of the door sections. These sections interfit as shown in Figure 2, and make up a highly organized and complete silo door. At the same time the sections may be readily released without diiiiculty. Moreover, the bars 33 of the yokes 32 constitute the rungs of the ladder of the silo.

I claim:

1. A door for use with silos having a door opening and comprising a main panel and laterally movable end pieces carried by said main panel, said movable end pieces being movable laterally outward into engagement with the inner side walls of the door opening, and being movable laterally inward and out of engagement with said walls whereby to compensate for shrinkage or swelling, respectively, and means for positively moving said and pieces outwardly or inwardly.

2. A. silo door comprising a main panel, end pieces mounted for sliding movement on the main panel, the main panel and the end pieces constituting a door structure for closing the door opening, and means for positively sliding said end pieces outwardly or inwardly.

3. In combination with a silo having a door opening provided with shoulders having undercut faces, a silo door made up of a number of sections, each including a main panel having reduced extensions adapted to fit behind said shoulders, movable end pieces mounted on said reduced extensions and in engagement with the undercut faces of said shoulders, and means for spreading said end pieces in engagement with said undercut faces.

i. A silo door including a section having a main panel and movable end pieces, a plate carried by each of said end pieces and having a lateral arm provided with a slot, a housing overlying said plate and secured to said main panel, said housing having a cam slot formed therein and an operating yoke having arms extending through the cam slot of each of said casings, and cooperable with the slotted arm of the movable end pieces.

5. A sile door having a main section and movable end pieces, a plate connected to each of said end pieces and having a lateral arm provided with a slot, a pair of casings secured to the main panel and overlying the slotted arms of the movable end pieces, bolts slidably mounted upon said casings and common operating means for said bolts and said movable end pieces including a yoke having arms, the casings having cam slots through which said arms extend, collars formed on one end of said arms and loosely embracing the bolts, fixed collars on said bolts between which the collars of the arms are fitted, th collars being disposed in the slots of the arms of the movable end pieces, and being engageable with the end walls of said slots to operate said movable end pieces.

6. A silo door including a main panel and movable end pieces, bolts carried by said door, and common operating means for the bolts and for the movable end pieces.

7. A silo door including a panel and movable end pieces, a pair of casings connected to the panel and overlying the movable end pieces, said casings having cam slots therein, bolts slidably mounted upon the casings and common operating means for the bolts and 10 movable end pieces including a yoke having yoke arms having an oiiset extension having 15 fixed thereto a slide block, a sleeve having a polygonal bore in which said slide blocks are mounted for sliding movement.

LEVI DEPUY HOUGHTALING. 

